Improvement in machines for slotting and drilling clothes-clamps



MACHINE FOR SLOT'TIN'G AND DRILLING CLOTHES-CLAMPS. Nm170 ,394. Patented Nov. 23 ,1875.

Witnesses .FETERS. FHOTO-LITHOGRAPNER. WASHINGTON, Dv C.

NrrED STATES PATENT Enron.

MILON PRATT, OF DEEP RIVER, CONNECTICUT.

IMPROVEMENT IN MACHINES FOR SLOTTING AND DRILLING CLOTHES-CLAMPS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. [70,394, dated November 23, 1875; applica' ion filed August 30, 1 75.

intended more particularly for slotting and drilling the jaws of clothes pins or clamps, to prepare them for the reception and retention of coiled-wire springs and pivots, but which may be used for various other purposes where slotting and drilling are required.

The invention consists in a novel construction, arrangement, and combination of the work-carrying bed-plate and the boring or drilling mechanism, whereby the drill or boring-tool is moved up to the Work. The invention consists, further, in a novel construction and arrangement of the work-carrier, whereby the work is presented to the slotting or grooving cutters and the drill.

In the accompanying drawing, Figure 1 is a top view of a machine constructed according to my invention. Fig. 2 is a side view of the same. Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical section taken in the line w w of Fig. 1. Figs. 4 and 5 are detail views of clothes-pin jaws slotted and drilled according to my invention.

A represents a table, resting upon the top of a frame-work, B, in which are journaled three shafts, C D E. The main shaft C is provided with a large pulley, c and small pulley 0 The shaft D is provided with a large pulley, al and small pulley 6?, and the shaft E is provided with two large pulleys, c" e, and a small pulley, 0 The arrangement of the shafts and pulleys maybe varied according to preference or convenience without affecting the nature of the invention. ()n the top of the table is journaled, in hearings ff, a shaft, F, carrying a pulley, G, around which passes a belt, g, from the pulley c on the shaft C, by which means the shaft F is driven. On one end of the shaft F isa crank-Wheel, H, which is connected by a pitman, h, with a bed-plate, I, arranged to reciprocate in ways or guides in a seat on the top of the table A. The shaft D is driven by means of a belt, d", from the pulley c to the pulley d and in turn drives the shaft E by means of a belt, f", from the pulley d to the pulley 6 On the top of the table A, toward the end opposite the shaft F, is journaled, in bearings j, a shaft,

J, provided with a pulley, 3' around which passes a belt, 9, from the pulley e of the shaft E, by which means the shaft J is driven. ()n the end of the shaft J, toward the bedplate I, is a saw, K. On the top of the reciprocating bed-plate I is journaled. in bearings l, a shaft, L, provided. with a pulley, 1 around which passes a belt, Z", from the pulley e of the shaft E, by which means the shaft L is driven. On the inner end of the shaft L, or the end nearest the saw, is a drill or boringtool, LZattached and held in any suitable manner. Near the outer portion of the shaft L is a grooved collar, l, with which engages the forked upper end of an arm, m, on the inner end of a horizontal shaft, M, which works in bearings in the bed-plate 1, parallel with the shaft L. To the outer end of the shaft M is pivoted one endof a lever, N, having its fulcrum on the outer edge of the bedplate I, or a projection thereon. The other end of the lever N is formed into a lip, n, for engagement with a switch, consisting of an inclined or wedge-shaped tongue, P, pivoted in alug or projection on thetable A, and provided with a spring, 19, which has a tendency to keep its point or free end closely pressed against the surface of the edge of the bedplate.

On the upper side of the bed-plate is a carrier for the work, consisting of a block, R, provided with a'clamping-hook, r, at one end, and a clamping-dog, S, at the other. The hook r is rigidly attached to the carrier; but the dog S is pivoted in a slot therein, and extends downward through a slot in the table A, and is provided with a spring, 8, having a tendency tokeep the upper end inclined forward toward the hook 1'. The carrier thus constructed is arranged in an oblique direction with relation to the line of travel of the recip: rocating bed-plate I, for the purpose of forming the slot in an oblique direction, as hereinafter. explained, and is provided with a gage, 1".

On the top of the table A, near the portion of the bed-plate where the work-carrier is lo cated, is a trough or hopper, T, provided with a feeding device, consisting of a lever, V, pivoted on or over thetable A, and oscillated by means of a projection, g", on the pulley G acting on one end of the lever, and a spring, '0", acting on the other end, so that as the projectiong comes in contact with the one end of the lever the feeder '0 is moved in the direction of the carrier R, and as soon as the projection has passed the lever the feeder is retracted by the spring o".

The blanks to be worked are placed, one

above another, in the trough or hopper T, and

motion is imparted to the machine. As the parts reachthe positions shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the feeder aworking in the bottom of the hopper, forces the lowermostblank out of the hopper and throws it upon the carrier B. As the bed-plate I begins its forward motion, the spring 8 throws the dog S forward, and causes it to clamp the blank firmly between itself and the hook 'r. The bed-plate then moves forward, so as to carry the blank under the saw K, which cuts a slot, groove, or mortise,

w, in the blank W. (Shown in Fig. 4.) The object of the obliquedirection of the slot is to provide for the ends of the wire which forms the spring when the clothes pin or clamp is completed, the shape of which spring is shown in dotted lines in Fig. 5, which represents a completed clothes-pin. rocating bed-plate I has completed its forward stroke, the cutting of the slot or groove by the saw K is finished. As the bed-plate begins its backward movement the lip n on the end of the lever N slides outward over theinclined or wedge-shaped surface of the switch P, so as to press inward the opposite end of the lever N, and, through the operation of the. shaft M and forked arm m upon the grooved collar 1, to move the shaft L longitudinally in its bearings, and bring the drill or boringtool L in contact with the blank, and thus bore holes, 10?, through the same transverse- 1y to the slot or groove w, (see' Figs. 4 and 5,)

which holes are for thereception of pins for holding the parts in place in the completed clothes pin or clamp. When the bed-plate I completes its backward motion, and again arrives at the position shown in the drawing, the dog S strikes a set-screw, s, or other suitable adjustable projection, so as to release the hold of the dog upon the work, and allow it to be By the time the recip-' expelled from the carrier by any suitable means, while at the same time the feeder "v on the lever V, actuated. by the projection g" on the pulley G, feeds another blank from the hopper T tothe carrier R, and the operation is repeated, as before described.

Before the bed-plate has entirely completed its backward stroke the lip 11, has passed the switch P, and the lever has been retracted,

and the boring-tool 'withdrawn from the work by. means of a spring attached to the shaft M, so that during the forward movement of the bed-plate the lip n is held against the bedplate, and passes between it and the switch P,

which yields to allow it to pass, and immedi ately resumes its proper position.

The arrangement of parts may, if desired, be so modified as to cause the drill to suspend its rotary motion during the forward movement of the bed-plate; or it may be made to drill the work during said forward movement.

When the machine is used for other purposes than that above described the bed-plate may be arranged in other than an oblique direction.

What I claim as new, and desire. to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a machine for slotting and drillingclothes-clamps, and for similar purposes, the

combination, with a reciprocating bed-plate,

which presents the workto the slotting device, of a drilling or boring shaft attached to said bed-plate, and having a rotary motion and a longitudinal motion,whereby, during the movement of the bed-plate, the drill or boring-tool is fed'to the work, substantially asherein described.

2. The combination and arrangement of the dog S, spring 8, and set-screw or projections",

for automatically clamping and releasing the work during the movement of the bed-plate, substantially as herein described.

MILON PRATT.

Witnesses:

JAMES A. J ONES, HENRY It. Wooscrna. 

